Vivitar 285HV and Firefly 3 - not working

[tundrakurmitsa]

Hi,
I just bought a Vivitar 285HV which is also recommended here http://www.pjcaver.com/sidfirefly.htm . The problem is that the Firefly 3 doesn't seem to trigger the flash. The flashgun works properly when test fired. On Cavechat.org I found this topic: http://www.forums.caves.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4164 . Somebody has been having same kind of a problem with a Firefly 2. Could anybody help?

 

[PaulW]

i'm sure someone will be able to answer it better than me,but i'm guessing the trigger voltage from the firefly is not high enough to fire the flash, i take it it fires of a different hotshoe and not just the manual fire button on the flash

 

[Stupot]

Starting with the basics - I assume the Firefly is working correctly, are the batteries good and if so does it fire other flash guns?

What camera are you using?

Cheers

Stu.

 

[rom82]

The firefly should be able to handle the trigger voltage of the flash, this is one of their advantages they have a high trig. volt. capacity.

If the flashgun is working fine and the firefly likewise then perhaps the problem lies with your camera flash settings. Don't you need to change the settings on the camera so that the flash does not fire an initial TTL infra-red signal that can confuse the firefly?

I may be wrong about this as Firefly 3 may have been made in response to this problem that was inherit in the mark 2 models, however, maybe you just need to sync the flash to firfly setting as most DSLR will have multiple firing settings.

 

[tundrakurmitsa]

Hi,
Thank you for the replies. I have been using my Fireflies a couple of years, and they have been working fine. After I noticed that the Vivitar wasn't firing, I tested the Firefly with my two other flashguns, and it worked as it was supposed to. I also have two cameras, one with a preflash and one without, so I'm used to reprogramming my Fireflies.

After posting my message here, I contacted Peter Jones from Shot in the Dark, and told him about this problem. He suggested that the reason could be the triggering voltage being too high for the Firefly. 

 

[DavidGibson]

After posting my message here, I contacted Peter Jones from Shot in the Dark, and told him about this problem. He suggested that the reason could be the triggering voltage being too high for the Firefly.

Its unlikely to be anything to do with triggering voltage, because the Firefly "doesnt work like that". There is, though, a specific problem to do with firing certain types of Vivitar gun.  The early models of Firefly II and IIIs had a small PCB link inside them, which you had to set to the correct position for "vivitar" or "non-vivitar" guns.  Im not sure if the latest Fireflys use the same firing circuit, because Nigel Jennings has made some changes to my original design.  I guess the first thing to do, if you cannot get hold of Mr Firefly himself, is to open up the unit and see if it has a little PCB shorting link inside it, that can be set to one of two positions.